Bahraini forces rape, kill female poet

A female Bahraini activist who has composed anti-government poems has been killed, after being arrested and raped by Manama forces.

Ayat al-Ghermezi, 20, had recited her poems, in which she slammed the ruling regime and Bahraini Prime Minister Khalifah Ibn Salman al-Khalifah, during protests in Pearl Square in the capital city, Manama, Fardanews reported.

Â Shortly afterwards, Ghermezi received an influx of insulting and intimidating letters and emails, but when she referred to the police to report the threats, she was insulted and mocked by officers, her family says. In late March, security forces raided Ghermezi's home twice, threatening her family to reveal Ayat's whereabouts, otherwise they would â€œdestroy the house over your heads, by the order of high-ranking officials.â€ After the security forces coerced Gehrmezi's family into disclosing her hideout, the family heard no word from her, Ayat's mother said. When the family started searching for Ayat, the police told them they have no information about Ayat and tried to force them to confirm through a letter that their daughter had gone missing. In mid-April, an anonymous call was made to Gehrmezi's family, informing them that Ayat was in coma at an army Hospital. At the hospital, doctors confirmed that Ayat had gone into coma after being raped for several times. Eventually, the physicians' efforts failed to save Ayat's life and she died at the army hospital. So far, several other women, including doctors, university professors and students, have been kidnapped or arrested by Bahraini security forces. Since mid-February, thousands of anti-government protesters in Bahrain have poured into the streets, calling for an end to Al-Khalifa dynasty, which has ruled the country for almost forty years. On March 13, Saudi-led forces were dispatched to the Persian Gulf island at Manama's request to quell the countrywide protests. According to local sources, dozens of people have been killed and hundreds arrested so far during the government clampdown on the peaceful demonstrations. Rumor? However, Press TV has received a call from the Bahraini local sources that the news about the death of the poet Ayat al-Ghermezi is a sheer rumor and that it is an attempt by the Bahraini government to discredit media.